We’re delighted to hear that The School of Healthcare Sciences retrofit project we recently completed for Cardiff University has been shortlisted for the Fitout / Refurbishment of the Year Category at this year’s Insider Property Awards Wales. We’re really looking forward to the event on the evening of 12th June to find out if it’s won….. fingers crossed!
Director Kate Thomas delivered a talk this afternoon on how to raise a greater sense of ‘Cynefin’ for staff and learners in education buildings. It’s an important theme in the Welsh Curriculum and a beneficial concept to building users both in Wales and beyond…. Interested to know more? Get in touch with Kate and she’ll fill you in! Thanks to those who came and thanks to Orangebox for hosting the talk.
Works have officially commenced on the first phase of renovations to the University of Liverpool’s Eleanor Rathbone Building. Part of a broader campus masterplan, the aim is to transform the site into the flagship hub for the Faculty of Health & Life Science. The project will maximise the potential of the existing building stock across the campus, delivering quality improvements both aesthetically and technically.
The improvements are designed to significantly reduce the building’s energy requirements for heating, cooling, ventilation, and lighting, enhancing its sustainability and functionality. Once complete, the revamped Eleanor Rathbone Building will support cutting-edge research and learning spaces that reflect the University’s commitment to providing a world-class environment for students, faculty, and staff.
This first phase marks a substantial step toward the future of the campus and the University’s continued dedication to sustainable growth and academic excellence.
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has named Shakespeare North Trust and Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council as 2024 Client of the Year winner for their ambitious community regeneration project Shakespeare North in Prescot.
The project, by Helm Architecture with executive architects Austin-Smith:Lord, was completed in 2022 for Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council. The Playhouse has been lauded for its dedication to promoting ‘learning, experimentation, and reinterpretation of Shakespeare.’ Situated in Prescot’s Conservation area, the building features a main auditorium, a studio theatre, a dramatic performance garden, a public piazza, learning spaces, and foyers that house a café and bar.
Stephanie Macdonald, Founding Director, 6a Architects, said: “Pursuing cultural excellence and local needs with equal ambition, Shakespeare North has successfully revitalized the community, transforming one of England’s most deprived boroughs and making Prescot a new cultural destination in the UK. By inviting the local youth theatre group as the main resident at the outset, and appointing 30 community coordinators, they fostered genuine engagement and addressed the needs of the wider region. 3000 people attended the opening parade with floats from each community group.”
Congratulations to everyone involved!
You can find more information on the project here: https://www.austinsmithlord.com/projects/shakespeare-north-prescot/
https://www.architecture.com/awards-and-competitions-landing-page/awards/riba-client-of-the-year
Today marked the official topping out ceremony for the £110M Fairwater Campus project in Cardiff.
Austin-Smith:Lord are working in collaboration with ISG and HLM Architects to transform the existing Cantonian High School site into a state-of-the-art, multi-school campus. Once completed, the innovative facility will educate over 1,450 secondary and sixth form students, alongside more than 380 pupils with special educational needs, aged 4 to 19. The campus, designed with a focus on sustainability, will achieve Net Zero Carbon in operation and feature on-site energy generation, outdoor learning spaces, and enhanced biodiversity.
Tim Young, Director at Austin-Smith:Lord said “The Fairwater Campus is a truly transformative project, not just for education in Cardiff, but for sustainability and inclusivity. We are proud to be part of a development that will provide world-class facilities for students of all abilities while meeting Net Zero Carbon goals. This project demonstrates our commitment to creating spaces that foster learning, play, and growth in harmony with the environment.”
Header image courtesy of HLM
We are pleased to share that Fitzalan High School has been shortlisted in the Project of the Year (Schools) category at the Education Estates Awards. These prestigious awards celebrate excellence and achievement in the education sector.
Fitzalan High School has already had a remarkable year, with multiple award nominations and wins. So far it has won the RICS Wales Award, followed by Project of the Year (Schools) at the Education Buildings Wales Awards. It was also shortlisted in the Constructing Excellence Wales Awards.
Winners will be announced on 15th October in Manchester. Congratulations to the fantastic TeamFitz, and fingers crossed!
You can view the full shortlist here. Well done all.
It was an incredibly successful evening for Austin-Smith:Lord at the recent Education Buildings Wales Awards, winning the following four accolades:
Congratulations to the teams who worked on these projects.
Tim Young, Director at Austin-Smith:Lord said “We are delighted to have secured four Education Buildings Wales Awards. This achievement is a testament to our team’s hard work and dedication, and our ongoing commitment to designing and creating inspiring educational spaces.”
Austin-Smith:Lord has become the 100th organisation to join the Construction Quality Improvement Collaborative (CQIC) Charter. The CQIC is a programme established to improve construction quality across Scotland through a change in culture and peer support.
Andrew McCafferty, Director and Head of Architecture at Austin-Smith:Lord said “We have demonstrated our commitment to improving construction quality by signing up to the CQIC’s campaign. The vision and values in the Charter are already well embedded in Austin-Smith:Lord’s core values and therefore making the commitment was the natural thing to do.
“The work of the CQIC to encourage a cultural shift to one where quality is central to all decision making, is so important for the sector in Scotland.”
Colin Campbell, Associate Director at Scottish Futures Trust and co-chair of the CQIC added, “We are delighted to have reached the milestone of 100 organisations to the Charter and we welcome Austin-Smith:Lord to the cause. As an architectural practice it has a vital role to play in the delivery of quality on sites and it is marvellous that the firm and its employees have committed to the Charter in a declaration of how important quality is.
“Whilst 100 commitments is a great achievement, we are conscious that we have a long way to go if we are to achieve our aim of a sustainable construction quality culture across the whole of Scotland, but the campaign is gathering momentum and support in all parts of the sector.”
The Construction Quality Improvement Collaborative (CQIC) is a Scottish based campaign for improving construction quality, and forms one of the Transformation Action Plan Working Groups under the Scottish Construction Accord.
Austin-Smith:Lord has been appointed as part of Aecom’s multi-disciplinary team to develop design proposals for the Western Gateway project in Barry, commissioned by the Vale of Glamorgan Council. This public sector collaboration involves the Vale of Glamorgan Council, Cardiff & Vale University Health Board, and the Welsh Government.
The Western Gateway project aims to comprehensively redevelop two key sites near the town centre, incorporating significant improvements and enhancements to the highway and public realm in-between. Austin-Smith:Lord are providing architectural and landscape design services.
The scheme includes two new buildings with affordable residential apartments, one of which is designated for older persons. Additionally, the project will feature a new health clinic and the potential for extra non-residential spaces to create active street frontages.
As part of the holistic masterplan for the new gateway, the project will deliver a high-quality public realm area, carefully integrated with the two site developments. This will focus on fostering a strong sense of place, enhancing green spaces, and providing improved pedestrian routes and active travel measures.
Huge congratulations to everyone involved in Old College, Aberystwyth which picked up the award for ‘Best Use of Heritage in Placemaking at the 2024 Planning Awards last week. The project was up against fierce competition from 3 Mills Studios, Battersea Power Station, Daedelus Waterfront, the Horlicks Factory and Union Terrace Gardens which were all shortlisted in the same category.
The proposals aim to rejuvenate the Grade I listed Old College and the adjacent Grade II listed villas, transforming them into a vibrant hub featuring an exhibition centre, a place of learning and discovery, and a creative business incubator. Additionally, the complex will include a boutique hotel, conference facilities, and wedding and event spaces, providing a variety of amenities for students and the local community.
Lawray Architects is leading the multi-disciplinary team for the project which includes Austin-Smith:Lord (Conservation Architecture, Interior Design and Landscape Architecture), Hoare Lee (MEP), Mann Williams (Structural and Civil Engineering) and Asbri Planning.
More info here:
https://www.austinsmithlord.com/projects/old-college-aberystwyth/
